49ers want to keep Brandon Aiyuk long-term, but there's one thing preventing them

Summer is officially here, and Brandon Aiyuk is still looking for a deal. The San Francisco 49ers star receiver made it very obvious immediately after the Super Bowl that he was looking for a new contract, whether it was with San Francisco or another team, and he's still looking over four months later.

Recently, Aiyuk posted a video on TikTok saying that the Niners "don't want me back" amid contract negotiations.

As frustrating as the situation has been for him, ESPN's Adam Schefter says that Aiyuk's opinion is not the truth. in an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Schefter went into exactly why the two sides haven't reached a deal yet.

49ers want to keep Brandon Aiyuk, but not at his asking price

Schefter says that the Niners have never been serious about trading Aiyuk, an All-Pro receiver. Their ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl, and they'd obviously have a much better shot at doing so with Aiyuk, one of the best receivers in the NFL, on their team.

With that in mind though, while the Niners want Aiyuk, they're not willing to succumb to every single demand Aiyuk has to keep him around, at least not right now. Aiyuk, understandably, is seeking an enormous contract now that he's seeing other high-end receivers get paid, and the Niners, understandably, do not want to go to those absurd lengths.

Schefter notes that at one point this offseason a deal seemed close, but then nothing transpired once the receiver market exploded. He specifically cites Jaylen Waddle signing a deal that pays him around $28 million annually with a ton of guaranteed money ($76 million), and Justin Jefferson signing an even bigger deal (four-years, $140 million).

For this drama to come to an end, one side is going to have to make a drastic move. If Aiyuk lowers his ask to a more reasonable number in San Francisco's eyes, there's a good chance a deal will transpire. If the Niners are willing to give a contract comparable or more than what a guy like Waddle just got, there's a good chance a deal will transpire.

If no compromise is made, that's when things can get really interesting. The Niners might finally seriously consider a trade before the regular season if no deal can be reached. Aiyuk might hold out as well. Things can get seriously ugly, and what makes it worse is as more receivers get deals, Aiyuk's asking price will only increase. If the Niners won't compromise now, it's hard to imagine they ever will.